5 best MLB players you’ve probably never heard of
By JJ Keller
Tanner Roark, SP, Washington Nationals
2014 stats: 2.93 ERA — 3.44 FIP — 2.3 fWAR/3.7 rWAR in 153.2 IP
The Nationals have one of the better rotations in the league, but the names that usually come to mind are Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman, Doug Fister and Gio Gonzalez. Turns out they have a pretty darn good No. 5 starter in right-hander Tanner Roark.
Roark was traded to the Nationals in 2010 after being drafted by the Texas Rangers, and was never highly touted in the minors. John Sickels of Minor League Ball never had him in the Nationals Top-20 prospects, but he has defied expectations since reaching the majors.
In his short stint in 2013, he posted a 1.41 ERA and 2.41 FIP, splitting time between the rotation and the bullpen. That performance earned him a full-time starter spot this year, and as you can see above, he has not fallen off like some might have expected from a C-grade prospect who dominated in a 50 inning sample.
He may be the No. 5 for Washington, but nothing he has done is indicative of that role. He is tied for the team lead, with Doug Fister, in Baseball Reference WAR (which is based on run-prevention) at 3.7. He is third on the team in Fangraphs WAR (which is based on FIP) at 2.3, behind just Strasburg and Zimmerman.
His BABIP is a touch lower than it probably should be, so the hits and runs may start ticking up a bit. But that can happen, and he would still be an above average pitcher.
He is overshadowed by the three other top-notch pitchers on his staff, but if he keeps this up, people will put him in the same sentence as the other DC starters, rather than behind them, or not at all, as they do now.